Are you new in town?
by TwoPointNo
Summary: High School AU: A new student comes in for Amanda Clarke's senior year, and it's her personal mission to make the most of it.
1. Hello Handsome

**A/N: Hello lovely people, This is a High School AU basically, and bear with me here, the Victoria/David thing never ever happened and the Graysons are as honest as rich people gets, oh yes the world is a wonderful place. Also Nolan is Emily's age and pretty rich anyways, even if he hasn't created Nolcorp, and obviously Charlotte would not be Charlotte. Read away, and the review box is right there for anything you want to say, good and bad, it's needed. Thanks for being here.**

* * *

Amanda sat in math, her eyes fixed on the Jabba The Hut she had as a teacher that year, it hadn't even been three classes and he had already made them see they were failing that semester, he was currently discussing the test scores with the class clown; she was so tired of it all, three days and 10 minutes into the school year she was already done with it. In the middle of the banter an –obviously- new student walked in the classroom, her eyes trailed from her teacher to the new addition to her first period on Thursday, the guy standing in the door frame was, well, hot as fuck. We was tall, but not enough to scare, and his body was muscular but not enough to scream steroids like most of her classmates', his hair was dark and messy in his head, but it didn't look unkempt, his shoulders were broad inside his perfectly fitted blazer, which hugged his obviously toned torso, his tie –obviously perfectly tied too- lead to olive skin in his neck, which she followed up to his jaw, it was set strongly, he was obviously sensing the tension in the room, it relaxed anyways making way for a half-smile that showed his also perfect teeth, Amanda followed the movement of his lips as she unconsciously licked hers

"Mr. Johnson, math, Room 305?"

"Yes Mr.…"

"Grayson"

"Well, Mr. Grayson, you can go sit in the only sit there's left"

"Thank you"

Amanda thanked the superior force that made her mix up the hallways and be the last one to arrive; having to sit in front of the teacher's desk was by far the worse way to begin her day until now. He made his way past the teacher; she could feel every girl and the two closeted guys in the class following him to her side.

"Hello, my name is Daniel and I'll be entertaining you this evening" he said with a flirty smile as he sat between Amanda and the wall. A girl in the back whispered to her friend "I can't believe Amanda got him" they could both pretend they hadn't heard her but truth was the whole class had, he winked at her "You got me". Smooth was the word of the day, she thought.

"So, you're handsome, I'm Amanda"

"I heard" he said looking at the girl two seats to her back

"Oh Ashley, all mighty cheerleader, hates me, threw up in the middle of a test in seventh grade" she told him with a smirk on her lips conveying how much she hated her too

"You're filling me up in the important stuff I see. Recalling: Mr. Johnson, Ashley, Gorgeous" he said pointing to each and finishing with his index on her

Amanda didn't let herself dwell on the compliment "Pretty much, yes. Why are you only getting in? Are you too good for the first three days of school?"

"Absolutely, why come the first day when I can make an entrance like that and impress your pants off"

Amanda who -even if he was incredibly attractive- was not one to be shy played along "I'm wearing a skirt"

"Impress your skirt up then" he replied looking at her, not really scared of making eye contact

"You're bold, I like that"

"So you'll be showing me the town tonight?"

"You're new in town?"

"No"

Emily smiled "I can't, I have a date"

Daniel grinned devilishly and got closer "On a school night? What a bad girl you are"

She leaned in closer given that the teacher had successfully made the guy he was talking to give up his hopes and ambitions, and was now walking to his desk. When she was as close to him pretending to pick up something from the floor she looked up and found his eyes matching his grin "You should see me on the weekends"

The rest of the class went by fast enough, the teacher making a point to never leaving his desk and completely blocking off all conversation. Amanda looked at the PowerPoint slide show he had prepared for them and took notes because, if there was something she couldn't afford was failing math, and Daniel tried to pay as much attention as he could but he was completely distracted by the blonde. Around forty minutes later they left the room, Daniel was trying to catch Amanda out in the hallway but was quickly reached by someone else

"Hi"

"Ashley right?"

"Yes Mr. Grayson"

"Puked in seventh grade Ashley"

She suppressed an eye roll and sighed visibly "That would be me through the eyes of Amanda" she almost spat out her name "You still haven't told me your name and your embarrassing story"

"Mystery"

Ashley threw a smile that seemed quite fake to him "Ok, you want any help with your schedule?"

"Oh Yes" he was becoming annoyed by this girl, he needed to go after Amanda

"Ok, so tell me"

"Amanda, she has a date tonight"

She did not suppress her eye roll this time "How's that about your schedule?"

"I'd like to schedule my evening. She has a boyfriend?"

"She dates this bartender since she's like 12, not that it has stopped her from being a slut" Ashley was now the one annoyed by the turn of the conversation

Daniel's lips grew into a smile "Bartender? I reckon he doesn't go to school here"

"No"

"Great" He was already walking away when Ashley muttered to herself, "Why does everyone like her so much?" He turned back "I'm guessing she hasn't puked in school yet" and he left for his class given that there was no way he could find her again, not yet. He came in to find that, sadly there was no sign of the blonde in his literature class.

* * *

Amanda was sitting with her friend in lunch, a million things went through her mind as they discussed their plans for the weekend -like every year- someone had to kick off the school year, and as a senior whose house would be void of parental supervision Amanda felt like this time was her responsibility

"Look Amanda you have to throw it and let the bitch clan out of it, it's like poetic justice" Nolan was already texting every student in his contact list to appear on her house Friday night

"I'm not the devil, as long as they don't mess with me, it's cool" she was smiling at the eagerness of her friend and texting people herself

"What's with your dad again?"

"Business trip, thank god for the globalness of Grayson Global"

Daniel who had spotted her and the guy who he hadn't met yet was now close enough to listen at the conversation and chip in, he was surprised to hear that she knew his family's company, he walked up to them and made their eyes move from their phones to him when he talked.

He spoke as he sat down without waiting for an invitation "Grayson global what?"

"Excuse me, who the fuck are you?" Nolan spoke as he eyed him up and down trying to recall seeing him in school the year before

"I'm Daniel Grayson" he replied with a smile and continued "and I'm guessing you're the bartender"

Nolan was still weary of him and was glancing at Amanda who had not stopped texting "What? Bartender?"

She finally spoke, without moving her eyes from the screen "he's new"

"Why am I a bartender again?"

"Well, aren't you her date for the night?"

"You think I'm Jack?"

She finally left her phone and connected the dots in the conversation "You're Liz's brother? Wait, you've been asking about me?"

"You know my sister? She's not even in our year, and I had to ask to confirm that you weren't just playing with me"

Amanda who didn't really remember much of the first period and its conversations was dumbfounded by the last part of his answer "What?"

"Remember, I asked you out and you said you had a date"

"Oh, and this is your smooth way of proving you're interested? because if you asked who I think you asked you would know he's not worthy of this school and you would not be asking my good friend over here if he's a bartender"

"Who did I asked?"

"Ashley, she's the only one that would tell you that he's a bartender anyways, which he's not"

Nolan who had seen the exchange finally spoke up again "You do know that you being the royal heir does not give you the right to barge in our table"

He put on a fake fragile voice "I'm new, Amanda's the only one I know, be merciful"

"Nolan let him stay"

"Gee thanks Mandy"

They went back to texting and Daniel sat there silently thinking if she really did not remember he asking her out, that was certainly new and not really realizing how weird it was that almost every phone around him was buzzing as they typed into their phones until people started to approach them

"I'll so be there"

"Fuck yes, I'll bring some booze"

"Can I like, take my boyfriend too because you know Amanda, we're a package"

"So your dad is going away"

Daniel finally picked up on what was happening "You're having a party? And I wasn't invited?"

Even though his question was for Amanda Nolan's the one who answered "You just got here freak"

"So? You're inviting everyone, as I can see"

"we don't have your phone"

"I'm sitting right here prick"

"Oh you're both pretty, Daniel if you want to, you can go, ask your sister how to get there" and with that Amanda stood up and left them sitting there

"hey Nolan what are my chances here? Is she crazy?"

"For what I just saw, I don't think you have any and yes, she is" and with that he left too.

* * *

Amanda came home after school, like always at that time of the day she was the only one there. She turned the music up and lay down in the couch with her phone replying to the ever growing amount of responses she had gotten, way down the list there was a text from an unidentified number, it wasn't even about the party so she ignored it, that was until she had reply everyone and the only text there was that one, it read "Handsome here" she read it a few times and couldn't find any sense to it so she replied to let whoever it was know they had texted the wrong person

"Sorry wrong number"

Not even a second after the phone buzzed "Gorgeous?"

She read the text again hoping to remember who could have written the two words that weren't even grammatically correct "Honestly, you're texting the wrong person :)"

"Amanda?"

"Ok, not wrong. Who is this?"

"Daniel, Liz gave me your number"

Amanda smiled to herself remembering both their conversations of the day more vividly, she sat back up looking around her, realizing there wasn't really much to do but homework she decided to toy with him around a bit "well hello there handsome"

"hii :)"

"So you're the Grayson heir to the throne"

"Indeed I am"

"I heard you got sent away for bad behavior"

"What?"

"Liz tells it like mommy and daddy couldn't stand you and I have personally been to every Grayson holiday party and never had the pleasure to meet you"

"I'm better now"

"Too bad, I'm a sucker for a bad boy" Amanda was internally cackling, everything she'd ever heard about the infamous Daniel Grayson had built him so different to reality, he was as good-looking as they said but god he was easy to play

"I know, I've asked"

"And what do your sources tell you?"

"Apparently you play hard"

"Or I go home?"

"Apparently you never go home"

"And how does that make you feel?"

"Good"

"I'm glad I've cause a positive impression Mr. Grayson"

"The whole Grayson thing doesn't make you feel weird, right?"

She was incredibly amused by the conversation, maybe because it was either that or actual studying but probably because she had always had a knack for leading everyone on until they snapped "Oh no, I'm also a sucker for power"

"Bartender me? and he's not that dangerous for what I hear"

"Who says he doesn't have power in other situations? ;)"

"Do you like power in other situations?"

"Wouldn't you love to know?"

"Are you offering?"

"You want me to?"

"Perhaps"

"I would absolutely love to continue having this conversation but us mortals have other things to care about"

"Like?"

"Please consider your answer to the previous question"

"Are you mad?"

Amanda looked at the text for a second before bursting into laughter, she decided to leave him hanging there for a while, maybe until he chased her at school the next day –which she was sure was going to happen- or until the party if he didn't. She stood to go get at least one notebook so she could improvise whenever her father decided to show up, she sat with her laptop watching some show on Netflix when her phone buzzed again, oh she was going to have a field day with Daniel Grayson.


	2. The Porters

**THE** **PORTERS**

Daniel followed his sister through the beach, he eyed the house getting bigger and bigger as he approached it "Hey Liz, this is Amanda's? Really?"

"Would you just shut up and please back off, we still look like we're getting here together" The brunette turned around to look at her brother again "I told you lose the blazer Daniel, this is not one of your brit tea parties" she yanked it from him and threw it to the sea pulling a side of his button up shirt out of his pants in the process

He gasped "What the fuck? That was expensive!"

"Like we can't afford a new one" She turned and kept walking

"Give me some context, why is showing up well dressed a crime here?" he followed her, quickly catching up and walking side by side with her

She gave him an eyeroll "Ok this is how it works, by now everyone knows you're my brother but not because of that should I under any circumstance be seen next to you Daniel. I built up a cool persona for my missing sibling to the public eye and you going in there like it's a ball it's only gonna go badly for you, now I'm going to walk around this side of the beach and you can get there alone if, as your pretty eyes see, walk another 3 minutes without detours, ok?"

"Is that why Amanda thinks I'm a bad boy? we were texting yesterday I think she likes me, I sort of like her"

She laughed at him "I doubt that. Agreed?"

"Why?"

"Agreed?"

He sighed knowing she was not going to engage in that conversation anymore "Yes Lizzie" he smiled watching her turn and come back a few steps

"Don't you fucking dare or I'll tell her you collect comic books"

"Ok, calm down Elizabeth"

"Good bye Daniel, I trust you can get yourself home" and with that she turned again and walk up the beach while he followed the shore for a few minutes before reaching the first group of kids hanging outside.

He walked past them only being stopped by his chemistry partner who "Didn't know he'd be there" and was "definitely introducing him to some girls later". He made his way into the house that was already crowded and regretted not getting there earlier to have a shot to catch certain blonde alone –even if it wasn't his fault his sister wanted to be fashionably late- he also looked for her and caught her eye while she grabbed a beer and silently told him to back off. He turned looking for maybe another classmate he'd actually talked to in the two days he's gone to school and only seeing Nolan he dove right in

"hey Nolan"

"Look at you, nice brunch pants" he bit back the laughter but did not let the smirk pass

Daniel realized but it was not his intentions to let him win, if he wanted to get anywhere tonight he couldn't lose to her best friend "Dressed to impress"

Nolan not really as invested in the conversation as he was with his beer kept making small talk as he looked at someone across the room "to woo a special lady?"

"I don't know, maybe, I've only met this Ashley chick and Amanda"

"Well I wish you luck with she-who-must-not-be-named"

Daniel was downplaying his curiosity to look like it was all casual, if only he knew Nolan didn't really cared he wouldn't be trying so hard it was actually suspicious "and what about Amanda?"

"oh Danny, you've already heard about our bartender friend, why push?" Nolan turned to him with a smirk he covered with the bottle as he took another sip

Daniel swallowed "had to ask" he averted Nolan's gaze to where his eyes had previously been "So what where you looking at anyways"

"Hot piece of meat over there" he motioned his beer to the guy a few feet in front of them

Daniel saw the big guy standing by Ashley "dude you're gay?"

"Sometimes, depends on the weather"

"Well is he gay?" he also saw his hand on her lower back

"He's in the closet, and don't get me wrong, I don't want him out I just would love to go in with him for a while"

"okay"

"Actually I'm gonna go violently push him into one now, if you'll excuse me of course"

"yeah sure, dude it's okay"

Daniel fidgeted for a while as he saw Nolan go, there he was once again standing alone looking around for Amanda, how was it so impossible to find her in her own party, he had texted her three times since the last afternoon when she'd just stopped answering, then that morning at school apparently she wasn't in any of his classes and she's just hid in lunch and breaks, he was left with making small talk with some people he'd met –who yes, were nice but not Amanda nice-. Being the new kid had its perks, everyone seemed mesmerized by his presence at that party, he could see them commenting to each other about him and –being as handsome as he knew he was- a lot of female attention got him through the night, he would just stand there, bottle in his hands and smile in his face answering their questions about his time away and listening to everything –apparently absolutely everything- that had transpired in the close knitted community that the kids of the Hamptons were, he now knew whose everybody's parents were, where they lived, who had dated who and when, who had slept with who, who had been in jail, who had been in rehab, who went where for vacation and even some stories of those who only passed by in the summer, everything, including Amanda's everything. He listened from several sources how her mother had "flipped" when she was just 5 and she'd lived with no one but her dad ever since, dad that was apparently his dad's right hand and was currently in Singapore, he's heard how since she was around that same age she'd always hang out with this "superior attitude jerk" that didn't go to their school because his dad owned a bar not a million dollar-business like most of theirs, he'd heard how they had dated on and off for the length of their romantic lives and how apparently Amanda always managed to go back to him even if there were much better fish in the ocean and she had tried most of them, he'd also heard of her life long rivalry with Ashley –from Ashley herself- and her friends that started over a "stupid blue pencil the bitch obviously stole in 5th grade and never admitted to" and grew with the years, and for his dismay he also heard from one of his newfound friends how fun she was and how she "does this thing where she flirts with you and then she suddenly stops and it's hilarious". Daniel had listened to everything when he finally saw her.

Amanda was standing in her kitchen, her back to the living room and her hips resting in the island as she brought a paper cup to her lips smiling and looking at the floor, Daniel immediately got a way out of the conversation he'd been holding for a while now and started walking to her, she was wearing low black leather boots, tight black jeans and a loose white tank top, her hair fell to her back and to her sides in a perfect blonde mess covering her face and even in its simplicity it was absolutely ravishing. He got closer not really minding the guy who was standing next to her, he got close enough he could hear what he was –compared to everyone else's tone- whispering to her.

"you sure you don't want party harder tonight?" Daniel could clearly see the smirk plastered in his face

Amanda looked up to meet his gaze and returned his smirk "what do you have Trav?"

"Me" he bit his lip and raised his eyebrows waiting for a response from the blonde. Daniel watched from his safe distance feeling the blood boiling in his head

She smiled wider and put a hand on his chest, pushing herself away from the island and closer to him with the other one, her response was barely audible "Raincheck" she winked at him and brought her cup up to her lips again, never breaking the eye contact. Daniel felt his nails dig on his palm; she really did flirt with anyone

"Oh come one Amanda" the guy who only looked more repulsive to him now that he knew what was happening continued as he put his hand on her lower back

"Go away Travis" she replied losing every playful tone in her voice and her eyes, obviously annoyed at the contact

He pulled her closer "Think about it a bit more"

"Let go of me or you lose your arm" she replied coldly glaring at him, Daniel could not understand how the guy was still holding on to her like she would give in any second. At the same time he didn't know what to do, he wanted to jump in and punch him to impress her but it seemed obvious she would be the kind of woman who would be mad because she can take care of herself, and at the same time she did not want to help her because, hell, he was angry and she'd probably brought it on herself with the stupid comments she –apparently- made to everyone. Anyways before he reached a decision someone beat him to it.

The guy came in from the back door directly into the kitchen and positioned himself between them "Hey dude, back off please" He talked in a polite tone and met his eyes in the less threatening way Daniel had ever seen someone try to protect anyone. He saw Travis grow angry at being cockblocked –or at least he thought he had been cockblocked- and look at the guy like he was smaller than a bacteria "and who are you?" "Just leave", in less than a second his fist collided with the guy's face and Daniel watched as he stumbled backwards, into Amanda's arms. Travis spoke up again "Little fuck, hey Amanda are we gonna do this or not?" "We're not doing anything Travis, get the fuck out of my house now" He seemed much more scared of Amanda than anything else in the world in that moment.

Daniel watched him pass by him and then turned his eyes back to the scene unraveling before him. Amanda had gathered some ice and out in in a towel, and was currently pressing it against the guy's face while she moved some hairs of his face, she had the softest expression he had seen on her "You didn't have to do that Jack, thanks but I was one second away from chopping his arm out all by myself" Daniel hated himself for not reacting earlier, that could be him right now, she was not okay with it but she wasn't acting as he had set feminism back by 80 years and her hand was softly in his chest, whoever this Jack was, he was winning. She removed the ice from his face and left in in the sink, she came back and put her hand where it had been, _dammit Daniel react faster_.

"these stupid rich kids you hang around, I swear to god"

her sweetness died right there, with her spare hand she gave him a punch in the chest "Most of those rich kids are perfectly normal, I'm a rich kid myself and I think I talk for my people when I say money doesn't make you stupid, some people are just born that way" she replied playfully serious

"I just saved you from a sex offender and all I get is ice and a punch followed by a rich-kid pride speech, sucks"

"What do you want? The keys of the city?"

"I want some of what he was getting" he pulled her in and for Daniel's surprise –who was already thinking he had another chance at knight in a shiny armor- she didn't recoil this time, Amanda let herself be dragged into Jack's arms and soundly kissed him. Daniel felt like dying, he didn't understand how he was so hung up on someone he had met a day ago and obviously flirted with everyone for kicks and giggles without minding the emotional damage, but he was, and watching them kiss made him want to walk into the sea and sit in the bottom of it.

He left the kitchen and sat in the sofa in the living room with another beer bottle, well, one-day crushes couldn't be so hard to get over, right? At least not until they come sit next to you with their boyfriends.

"I see you made it, what do you think of my little soirée?"

"Awesome"

"You don't sound awesome"

"He's in love with you and Jack is sitting right there all hand holdingly" Liz came up from behind them and talked as she rounded them and sat on the center table before them "what's up Jack?"

Daniel shot up from the couch "Liz what the fuck?"

Jack watched him "Wait, who are you and why are you in love with her?"

Amanda merely smiled at the stupidity of it all

"I'm not in love with her, I merely said I thought she liked me"

Jack turned to her "why does he think you like him?"

Amanda, still smiling replied "I might have flirted a little"

He sighed "You need to stop doing that, you almost got raped tonight"

"Oh please, Travis is a stupid teddy bear, he can't hurt me"

Daniel was watching them "Wait, he knows?" he sat down slowly, he was really hoping they'd fight after she said that

"I told you she didn't like you Danny"

"Shut up _Lizzie_"

Amanda laughed "you guys are so cute"

Liz dropped her tone an octave "Don't ever say that again Amanda. Now, where's Declan?"

Jack shrugged "Home? I don't know"

"You should have brought him"

Daniel was lost in the conversation "Wait, who's Declan?"

Amanda looked at Liz with a dangerous glint in her eyes "You haven't told him about Declan?" she turned her gaze to Daniel "Declan is Jack's brother and your sister's fuck buddy. They're not dating because god forbid the Grayson girl dating a Porter, but that doesn't stop them for having fun, say at their boat or bar or—"

"Shut up! Jesus fucking Christ buy a filter" Liz kicked Amanda who only laughed at Daniel's expression that was quickly turning from confusion to anger.

He looked at his sister and stood up, glaring at her "We're going home, now" he pulled her by her arm. "Bye Amanda, Jack" he began walking taking her with him

Amanda yelled "So cute" between her laughter

Liz turned "Thank you very fucking much Mandy"

She just laughed harder and saw them go through the crowd before leaning into Jack "I wonder where Nolan is"

"I don't, wanna go upstairs?"

"Sure"

Daniel wasn't far away with Liz, he could still hear everything they said to each other, he ignored the nagging jealousy to focus on the over protective anger, god that party did not turned out like he expected.


	3. Wood

Daniel was running through the hallways, they couldn't expect him to be on time for _every_ class after less than a week in that huge school, could they? I mean, there were two buildings each with several floor and intricate passages plus the incredibly large sports area between them didn't help the rooms get any closer, and it was their damn fault anyways, who on earth makes schedules where a short-legged teenager –not that he was short-legged but he'd seen some kids that could pass for gnomes- has to go from a science class in the highest point of one of said buildings to the shop in the basement of the other in less than five minutes, it was rubbish. So he ran down the stairs and through the doors and pass the cafeteria, and into the building and down the stairs again and finally into the shop; where the teacher froze mid speech.

He put on hand up in the air as he threw his head back and passed the other one through his head, he was panting and a single drop of sweat slid down his neck "Sorry... I- I had science in" he gestured his hand to the general direction of the other building still breathing heavily, he noticed most of the now known eyes on him "Sorry" he walked in and grabbed a stool, not really knowing where to sit

"It's fine, Grayson I assume, you can talk in the offices to get that changed, there's no way you can make it from the laboratories in time, actually we were just talking about you" the young teacher threw him a genuine smile and continued addressing the rest of the class "as I was saying last Monday, these semester we're gonna take on some big things so I asked you to pair up-" a general growl came from the students and the teacher grinned "Why what happened with camaraderie?"

A husky voice responded from the back of the classroom "it died with the owner of those boots you're wearing" the rest of the kids laughed in approval

The teacher smiled wider "Cameron they're vintage okay? Anyways only one of you could have the benefit of solitude and in the official number picking ceremony we had Clarke was crowned Miss loneliness" Amanda stood up and bowed playfully as the rest of the classed booed her "but Mr. Grayson here is evening the number so, I guess there's light in your life again" she slumped back into her stool "yes Clarke, life is a female dog. Anyways now everybody grab your partner and your wood and let's make some beautiful craft babies" The majority of the class snorted but they all followed suit.

Daniel was at loss, why did they even have shop; they were definitely not be using that skill in the future, economics and management? Sure but Wood carving, wood carving where he would have to spend time with Amanda to get a good grade, he just didn't see the point. He kept quiet in his stool as he saw all his classmates stand up and grab a bunch of tools he wasn't familiar with and pieces of woods of different sizes and forms, he was trying to pick up a pattern to see what the general choices where. A voice in his ear startled him "Where's your wood?" Amanda was basically purring, he turned briefly to catch a glimpse of her smirk, right there he decided he was not going to get caught up on her games again, as calm as he managed he stood up and put his backpack on nearest table "I'll go get some", she raised a questioning eyebrow at him but let him go and grabbed the backpack to take it back to her table, she sat there waiting for him to sort out the diversity of supplies before him with some help form the teacher and some shop enthusiasts telling him everything he absolutely should take, he got back to the table cradling it all in his arms and let it down before her "So, do you know how to… Everything?" he shot a smile at her "Actually yeah, we take this every year" "Cool" he turned to look at the teacher who was now drawing something on the board on the far wall of the classroom, Amanda looked at Daniel with curiosity in her eyes, she wondered why he was so distant, well not exactly distant since they had never been close but something of the like, It didn't stop her though

"Hey handsome you should really take off that blazer, it gets dirty around here" she whispered as if she feared detention with a grin on her face

He turned his gaze to her and whispered back "you really don't stop do you?"

She dropped the smirk and lifted one perfect eyebrow "Whatever do you mean?"

"The flirting thing"

She smiled at him "That wasn't flirting –of course it was but hell, he didn't need to know- the sawdust is real, and it's here, to destroy blazers around the world"

He felt incredibly stupid but fought back the small blush "Umm yeah thanks" he took it off and shoved it I his backpack still trying to keep up with the teacher's drawings

"Do you manhandle everything like you did your blazer, I like it" the grin was back but he didn't respond "Also roll up your sleeves they're a bitch" he did as commanded without a second glace to her and she puffed out her cheeks and let the air out, hard to get it was.

When he finally stopped drawing everything he turned and cleared his throat "Okay padawans, this is what you're doing today, simple, a box big enough to store say 2 pair of shoes, you don't even have to make a top for it, just 5 pieces of plain wood stuck together, don't let me down, in you my faith I have put" he passed his eyes around the class to take in the general mood about the assignment "C'mon I even put measurements and recommendations that are pretty much step by step guides, just make'em boxes" and with that he sat.

Everyone started rummaging through the small mountains of supplies on their desks and Amanda waited watching Daniel closely, he was obviously not in the mood to ask for help -hers anyway- so she wanted to see the struggle. He started by spreading everything in the table, leaving space between everything, he wasn't stupid, he knew he had to take the boards and mark them with the exact measurements the teacher had given them and obviously the saw could cut wood so that was perfect, shit it wasn't perfect, he'd just screwed up a nice board, so maybe if he could cut an inch from the marks and then file until he reached them, yeah, no that was a bitch and everyone already had it cut, how did they do it, shit, he'd missed it, he took a step back and looked at the electrical tools, one of these then, so much blades, which one? And that's when it hit him, damn that was a group project. "You gonna help?" it came out much more rushed and flustered than he wanted it to. "or do you like failing your classes?" he finished more calm

She suppressed a giggle and smiled at him but kept quiet –thank god- she took one of the smaller tools and plugged it in, in less than five minutes she had the 5 boards he'd marked neatly cut, he rolled his eyes at her when she tuned with a smug smirk in place, not that he cared actually but he had to ask "So do we glue them or nail them?" she pointed at the board_, oh yeah the teacher wrote everything, dammit Daniel pull it together_ "cool, I'll go get the hammer" she pointed at the desk,_ dammit_ "ok, this I can do", he marked the points where the nails where supposed to go in and asked her –more like grumbled to her- if she could hold the boards together, which she did and it took him about ten minutes to nail the box and reinforce with a second round of nails, he took the box to the teacher and breathed again when he gave him a nod and told him it was "pretty good and solid" he had to spent the rest of the class sitting next to Amanda, trying to not talk too much

Almost half an hour later the bell finally rung and he grabbed his backpack from the floor and mumbled a goodbye to her and left at a quick pace, he thought he could get away from her, he was wrong. She got to his side before he even made it to the stairs and to his dismay could easily keep up with him, as adamant as he was to let her get to him it was not like he'd lost all sense of dignity, he wasn't running off, so he slowed down.

"I hear you got Liz in trouble"

"I did, I got her grounded"

"Why? You don't even know Declan, he's a nice guy"

"Yeah, well shit happens"

"God you're so mad today"

"I'm not mad"

"Then what? Are you really sensitive about your wood?"

"Amanda don't"

"Oh C'mon, is this about not knowing the basic shop skills because we have all semester"

"It's not, just- just leave me alone for a minute"

She saw him go out of the building and disappear in the first turn, she really didn't know whether the issue was the wood or not.


End file.
